The Age of Chaos

Yoo Sung-jun raised his eyes and stared at the remaining points displayed before him.

That was a staggering amount earned simply from clearing the centipedes.

It had all been part of the arrangement he’d already made with Jack Kalt.

Yoo Sung-jun took every point earned from the infector hunts there for himself.

And that wasn’t all.

There’s this too.

Inside the spacious room he shared with his younger brother in the bunker, the infector brain stored in the freezer gleamed with a faint, eerie luster.

At present, Yoo Sung-jun was practically monopolizing the infector brain—the one thing that had, if anything, an almost unique effect on the growth of a person’s innate nature.

Of course, this wasn’t information known only to Yoo Sung-jun.

Not only Jeyca and his younger brother, who were both party members, but even Choi Hyun-seok and Cruiser knew about it.

Yoo Sung-jun was selling the brain with a price tag of 300,000 points.

It was no small amount of points to pay just to grow one’s innate nature, but since Choi Hyun-seok had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠already bought up the lot for the sake of strengthening the clan’s combat power, the income had been fairly sweet.

He hadn’t received the points yet, but he would soon enough.

If I’ve made it clear that I’m not responsible for whether their innate nature grows or not, they won’t complain if they don’t see results.

Recently, Yoo Sung-jun had been running all sorts of experiments with the brain.

How far could innate nature grow when fed the brain of a level 6 infector?

A centipede’s brain was no different.

It might have been powerful enough to stand at the very edge of level 6, but it was still a level 6 creature.

I thought there might be a chance, but…

Shockingly, nothing had changed.

Even after everyone he possessed had each tried eating a level 6 infector brain once, the result was the same.

He hadn’t expected to discover some new application from it, but at the very least he’d thought innate nature would grow. Apparently, even that was too much to ask.

This proves it. My innate nature can’t grow any further from level 6 infector brains.

Three applications. Level 3. That was the limit a level 6 brain could raise him to.

As for the level itself, that would rise with steady use.

But applications were different.

If he wanted to push innate nature any further, he would need to hunt higher-level infectors.

Is it time to prepare for a level 7 hunt?

Yoo Sung-jun closed the shop window.

He had decided everything he needed to buy.

Now all that remained was sorting out the missions and deciding after discussing things with the party.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hmm?"

Loki, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke.

"Go on."

From the Q&A he’d held with Jack Kalt, he’d gained a much clearer picture of Evolve’s power.

The holy relics they used, the number of believers and assistant bishops who led them, and even Evolve himself, the infector they worshiped.

On top of that, after their plan in the canyon had failed, they’d apparently moved to reinforce their forces.

They don’t seem like they’re about to make a move right away. There’s still room to breathe.

So why was Loki bringing them up now?

After a brief pause, Loki spoke in a cautious tone.

"And that first confirmer is me?"

"What do I gain from that?"

"No, seriously. They’ll hunt Evolve for me? That’s it? In the end, it’s a problem my people and I would sort out ourselves once enough time passed. Is there any reason to send another clan after them?"

There was even the chance that unverified users would take on the mission.

And if they did, only to be overcome by Evolve’s seduction? Then they would become fanatics too.

No need to spoon-feed them and help them power up on their own.

Just as he was about to shut it down, Loki offered an alternative.

"Someone above you?"

"You want me to screen the people who’ll send the kids there?"

In short, he was being told to become the overall mission supervisor for Evolve-related jobs.

Still, something felt a little lacking.

"If they go around hunting those believers and assistant bishops, all the looted gear ends up in their mouths, doesn’t it?"

"I’m just asking for fair compensation."

There had once been a vile boss who tried to pay him less than minimum wage on the excuse that he was young, that they were the only ones willing to hire him at that age.

Every time, Yoo Sung-jun had made sure to get everything he was owed.

He didn’t care if people called him a stubborn bastard.

If he hadn’t done that, both he and his brother would’ve ended up on the street before they ever touched Another Earth.

Thanks to that, he was thoroughly used to making sure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he got his share.

"What passed?"

"And what information are you giving them?"

If he could secure 20% of the points they earned in exchange for nothing more than simple information about Evolve’s traits and size, then it was hardly a losing trade.

They’d be far better off facing a new enemy with some knowledge than going in blind, and if that was the case, he’d not only be preventing more people from becoming Evolve’s believers, he’d be shrinking their forces while getting points for free.

But even so.

"Twenty percent is too stingy, isn’t it? Put in a little more effort. If you sweet-talk the others properly, I bet you can win them over too."

"Yeah. Let’s make it a clean 30%. Then I’ll be able to accept it without complaints."

Apparently struck speechless, Loki gave no reply for a while.

Still, the mission registered the next day told the story.

The demand had been accepted normally.

So they raised it to 30%. But should that really be written in the reward section?

He wondered whether there would really be anyone willing to take the mission if it was spelled out that openly.

And then.

"Hm?"

Yoo Sung-jun’s eyes moved to his smart watch.

They were applying the moment it was registered?

Before he could even make sense of the question, the watch began spitting out alert tones one after another.

Yoo Sung-jun muted the notifications and let the corners of his mouth creep upward without restraint.

Is this how the owner of a franchise feels after developing a working formula?

Just by sitting still, money—or rather, points—kept duplicating themselves.

As he let out a soft, pleased smile, he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠felt a grumpy stare from beside him.

"Why are you smiling like that? It’s weird."

"Smiling? I’m not."

"Look. You’re smiling right now."

Jeyca held up a hand mirror with the same annoyed expression still on her face.

Seeing his reflection in it, Yoo Sung-jun brushed at the corners of his mouth.

When had he been smiling like that?

"Ahem. I’m just happy everyone’s grown stronger, that’s all."

"Hmm, really?"

"I told you. Everyone’s figured out a new application for their innate nature, right? Isn’t that it?"

He looked around at everyone.

From Yoo Sung-hwan, checking his firearm, to Cruiser, adjusting the steel gauntlets that fit perfectly with the Omega Suit.

The two of them nodded at his question.

"The taste is awful, but the effect is solid enough. Right, Sung-hwan?"

"Haha, yeah."

All three of them had eaten infector brains and discovered new applications.

There’s nothing left to get out of them now.

Three applications was the limit of what could be gained from a level 6 brain.

With a satisfied expression, Yoo Sung-jun walked up to the station.

"You’re going to strengthen the Omega Suit before departure?"

"I don’t need to go through an adaptation phase."

Others would strengthen it long before entering a mission and go through the adaptation phase.

That was a stage even Choi Hyun-seok and Jack Kalt, who had already gone beyond the standard, couldn’t avoid.

But Yoo Sung-jun was different.

There was no real need for adaptation; his body adjusted itself to the absurd surge in power.

Which meant that instead of wasting time on adaptation, he could focus on the mission.

"I wonder what ability I’ll get this time."

The cost to strengthen the Omega Suit to level 4 was a whopping 3,000,000 points.

Once he strengthened it, he wouldn’t even dream of level 5 for a while.

After that, points start skyrocketing on an entirely different scale.

The Omega Suit alone cost 8 million. And body enhancement? That was another 5 million points, which practically meant repeating B-rank missions at level 4 forever.

Still, that’s the level only users beyond the standard can reach.

Fwhoosh.

As he thought, a sharp sound rang out and several choices appeared before the station.

He was already pretty good at Precision Control.

That left Synchronization and Beast Mode.

Synchronization was definitely tempting.

If he added that function, wouldn’t the power growth from breathing apply to the suit as well?

Maybe not twice as much, but if I use innate nature, the suit should help make it even stronger.

And so long as he didn’t stop breathing, that effect would continue.

On top of that, if he layered his applications into it, it would grow even stronger.

But still.

If it only makes me a few times stronger, can I really beat the worst-case scenario in this state?

If he wanted to become stronger, he had to invite hardship.

That was the path to earning a large number of points, and the way to obtain the brains of higher-level infectors.

So he always had to think that way. He had to prepare by imagining only the worst-case scenario.

"This is the one."

After careful consideration, Yoo Sung-jun chose Beast Mode.

It was the ability that granted more raw strength than any other application of innate nature or any power the suit itself could provide.

Judging by the power consumption, he probably wouldn’t even get three full minutes out of it.

That didn’t matter. Adrenaline had always had about that much of a time limit too.

If I combine this with the sword-cutting style of Alpha Strike, I should be able to handle up to level 8 somehow.

Chiii—.

The hissing sound came again, signaling the end of the modification.

Yoo Sung-jun put his smart watch back on.

At that moment, Jeyca held something out to him.

"What’s this?"

"The payment for the treatment back then. I borrowed it from you, remember?"

"Ah, right."

790,000 points. He’d told her to pay it back slowly.

It looked like she had somehow stuffed it full of small but valuable things and was planning to settle the debt all at once.

"Let me pay it back in installments. Are you sure it’s okay to give it all at once?"

"It’s fine. The helper role is enough as it is."

Her blue eyes, touched by a new application of the Appraisal Eye, were stained gold.

Her sparkling gaze shone with the determination to protect her comrades.

With her emphasizing it that much, there was nothing more to say.

Yoo Sung-jun shrugged and sold the items for points.

I don’t really need to buy anything else now. Guess I should just let them sit for a while.

He had around 2.18 million points stacked up, but now that amount felt insufficient.

Yoo Sung-jun gathered his gear and stepped in front of the others.

"Let’s enter the mission site. You’re all ready, right?"

"Kwahaha. The only regret is that I didn’t bring any alcohol."

"You quit smoking and all you do now is look for booze. Cruiser, you should cut back. Sung-hwan, what about you?"

"We’re moving out right away, and Ryong-i isn’t waiting, right?"

"Yeah. We told him the location, so he’ll fly over on his own. For now, let’s clear the area around us."

"Okay."

With that, he accepted the mission with the three of them.

Pure innocence, one of the last remaining in the world, was being kept here. Secure the purity hidden there and return.

National Baekdudaegan Arboretum.

One of the only two seed vaults in the world.

One of them was in Korea, and this was where Yoo Sung-jun was headed now.

The reason he’d chosen it wasn’t only because of the reward, but because there was another reason too.

Choi Hyun-seok had made a personal request, too.

It was a plea from a comrade.

On top of that, it was also indirectly for Yoo Sung-jun’s sake. So he had no choice but to accept it.

Not a trace of natural scenery remained; everything had been laid waste, and the four were greeted by a ruined world where only infectors swarmed in abundance.

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